Welcome to Northwest Colorado. The Bureau of Land Management Little Snake Field Office manages approximately 1.3 million acres of surface federal ownership and 1.1 million acres of federal mineral estate overlain by private and State lands in northwestern Colorado. National legislation directs the BLM to manage public lands for multiple uses such as livestock grazing, mineral production, and utility rights-of-way. This provides you, the visitor, the chance to experience a working ranch, a glimpse of the Old West, or industry at work. Heritage tourism on public lands tell a rich story of our nation’s distant and recent past – from the age of the dinosaur, Native Americans, pioneer settlers, miners, and present-day working ranches. The close proximity of gateway communities to public lands affords visitors a wonderful opportunity to the past. Experiencing that connection can yield enriching benefits. Your visit should improve and not degrade the cultural and natural resources. Maintaining these resources depends on BLM’s ability working with its community partners, and you, the visitor, to be good stewards. By observing some basic stewardship principles we can preserve these resources for future generations: Treat cultural and paleontological sites with respect. Avoid touching, chalking, or making rubbings of rock art, gravestones, and fossil trackways. Take photographs or make a sketch instead. Leave artifacts and fossils where you find them. It is illegal to dig, remove, or collect artifacts and vertebrate fossils without a permit. Avoid moving or climbing on prehistoric or historic structures. Stay on existing or designated roads and trails. Respect private property. Get landowner’s permission before entering any private lands. Report looting and vandalism to a BLM ranger or local authorities. William Pilgrim 2010

PLEASE DRIVE SAFELY WHILE ENJOYING THIS SELFGUIDED TOUR. STOPPING WHERE SAFELY POSSIBLE TO VIEW THE TOUR HIGHLIGHTS IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Allow yourself 4 to 5 hours to complete this tour. Mileage may vary.

SUMMER ROUTE START

1st Street and Highway 13

West of Town

Mile: 0 Craig, Colorado. Founded in 1889 by William H. Tucker who named the town for one of the financial backers, Rv. William Bayard Craig. In 1874, before Craig was founded it was known as the Bear River Colony, then in 1878 as Windsor, and Yampa in 1883. Moffat County. Created out of western portion of Routt County in 1911. Named for David Halliday Moffat. Moffat County is one of the last frontiers, having less than 6 people per square mile. Mile: 0.2 Trapper Mining. If weather permits, if you look to the mountains to the southeast, you can see the large draglines that uncover the coal from the strip mine that is used for the Tri-State Power Plant.

Trapper Mine. Trapper Mine is a 12 square mile surface coal mine with an annual production of nearly 2 million tons. The name “Trapper” reflects the local history in which fur trapping was once an important livelihood in the area. The Trapper Mine’s award-winning reclamation (seen to the southeast) has helped reestablish the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse and has increased elk populations ten-fold from the mid-1970s, before mining started. Mile: 4.0

Mile: 4.4 Big Bottom.

Located to the west. Large river bottom on the Yampa River. Good place to observe local wildlife.

Mile: 5.1 Reclaimed Hills. The hills to the east are all reclaimed mining land. About 3,000 acres of the 10,000 acre mine have been reclaimed since Trapper’s operations first began in 1977. Depending on weather conditions, large herds of elk can be seen on the hills beginning in late fall through winter.

Mile: 6.4 Coal Fire. If conditions are right, especially during winter, steam will rise from the hill (to the east), as cold air hits the warmer air. This is caused from the Hart Mine coal fire that has been burning underground for over 70 years. PRIVATE PROPERTY. DO NOT ENTER. DANGER

Mile: 0.8 Cottonwood Trees. These tall trees along the river bank are narrowleaf cottonwoods. Another common species seen along the river are the plains cottonwood, which has heartshaped leaves. Early travelers used its presence to signal a good spot to dig for water and to get out of the sun. The tree is also a favorite of beavers for food and dam building.

Mile: 1.4

Dome House. High winds

caused the outside of the house to be torn off and only the shell remained. The house is being rebuilt. PRIVATE PROPERTY. DO NOT ENTER.

Mile: 1.8 Thermal Springs. One of two known geothermal springs in Moffat County – Juniper Hot Springs, located to the southwest, and the Craig Warm Water Well (with a surface temperature of 102.2°F). These springs are created when water is heated by rocks within the earth’s interior. There are 56 known geothermal springs in Colorado. PRIVATE PROPERTY. DO NOT ENTER.

Eagle #5 Empire Mine Facility. The Empire Mine had one of the longest coal mine strikes in Colorado’s history. The strike lasted from May 13, 1991 until April 25, 1992. The Empire underground mine was shut down in 1995 as a result of a strike. Mile: 6.8

The tall, circular building is known as a tipple which can store one train load of coal or approximately 10,000 tons. The grassy meadow where the tipple and rail line are now located was once a horse racetrack for the Ute Indians. Petroglyphs on the mine site portray this favorite Native American pastime. PRIVATE PROPERTY. DO NOT ENTER.

Craig to Hamilton Road.

Mile: 2.4 South Beach State Park. This boat launch area, also

Mile: 7.5

known as the Yampa Project Pump Station, is a popular starting point for the 30 mile flat-water boating trip through the Little Yampa Canyon. Good place for bass fishing. FEE AREA

Along an approximately 3 mile stretch of Highway 13 (on the east side of the road) are the remains of a rock wall that stabilized the original road connecting Craig to Hamilton. Other sections of the wall can be seen at miles 8.4, 9.8 and 10.3.

Mile: 2.8 Energy Wayside Exhibit. Interpretive Stop. Begun in 1993 when the Yampa Valley Alliance started to develop trails in the Craig area. The power plants and mines wanted to add information to the trails that would help explain what mining was about, and the BLM wanted to provide an explanation of the benefits of mining and energy production and show how it could be environmentally sound. The wayside exhibit was completed in 1996. The exhibit was updated and completed in 2007.

Tri-State Power Plant. The Craig power station is Colorado’s largest coal-fired generation station. The station burns about 5 million tons of coal annually to generate electricity throughout the west, and produces enough electricity to meet the power requirements of more than 1.25 million residential customers.

Mile: 8.6 Williams Fork River. The Williams Fork River begins at Pyramid and runs to Hamilton and has two branches; the East Fork and the South Fork. The East Fork runs down the valley and the South Fork runs from the upper country near White River to a point above Pagoda. Most likely named after William Sherley “Old Bill” Williams (1787-1849).

Mile: 10.7 Geological Feature – Iles Formation. The geological feature (east side of road) shows coal layers formed from peat deposited in swamps. The lighter materials are sediments that covered the peat beds. The alternating deposition of organic material and sands were repeated creating layers of coal with layers of sandstone and other sedimentary rocks. The larger layer of sandstone at the top of the formation shows crossbedding. Cross-bedding develops as sand is deposited on steep slopes through wind or water action. The Iles Formation was formed approximately 251 to 65.5 million years ago.

Mile: 11.4 Hamilton School House. This was the second school house for Hamilton. The first was a log cabin that opened in 1898 and burned to the ground in early 1922. The new school was made of stone and is now a residence. PRIVATE PROPERTY. DO NOT ENTER.

The Forgotten Towns Mile: 11.8 Pagoda. Approximately 12 miles on Highway 317. The town was established in the late 1880s near the Williams Fork River because of the abundance of grass and water, which provided the early settlers cattle ranching and trapping opportunities. Today, not much remains of the town other than the cemetery. The Pagoda Store now resides at the Wyman Living History Museum located at the east end of Craig off Highway 40. The store displays a variety of authentic goods that were available to country folk over the last 100 years.

Mile: 11.8 Hamilton Bridge. The bridge originally had a metal

Highway 13. Highway 13 is often referred to as Death Road because of the amount of animals, especially deer and elk that have been hit by vehicles. The black and white birds, known as black-billed magpies, are frequent visitors to the highway as they fulfill their job as carrion eaters, much like vultures. Mile: 13.4 Rock Pillar. Located on the east side of the road. Formations like these are caused by wind and water wearing away at the weaker material of the rock. These formations are known as pedestal rocks, hoodoo formations, or mushroom rocks.

Mile: 15.3 Yellow Jacket Pass. Road to the Battle of Milk Creek. General Nathan Meeker upset the Utes by trying to force them to become farmers. In September 1879, Meeker called in the army and on September 29, 1879, Chief Douglas and a group of warriors killed Meeker and seven other members of the agency.

Mile: 16.6 Iles Grove State Land Board. Approximately 2,079 acres, south of this point, are held by the State Land Board. The State Land Board was established in 1876. These lands are held in trust and are virtually private and closed to the public. However, through a special leasing agreement developed in 1993, the State Land Board and the Division of Wildlife Public Access Program was developed establishing State Wildlife Areas. This allowed certain trust lands to be available to the public for hunting, fishing, and other wildlife-related activities during certain times.

Mile: 16.7 Scenic View. The predominant geological feature to the east is Monument Butte, which is locally known as “Molly’s Bonnet” in honor of colorful Molly Rink who homesteaded in the area. The Thornburgh Mountains are in the distance to the southeast.

Mile: 17.0 Iles Grove. Interpretive Stop. Iles Grove is the result of the Timber Culture Act passed by Congress in 1873. The permit for this tree claim was issued in 1885 to Thomas Iles. The Iles Grove stands as one of the last tree claims.

trellis and in 1946 the Craig Empire Courier declared that the Hamilton Bridge was one of the most beautiful scenes in Moffat County. Although no information can be found on the original bridge, it is said that the bridge had collapsed while horses were going over it.

Mile: 12.0

The Forgotten Towns Mile: 17.0 Loyd. Located 3 miles off of County Road 49,

Downtown Hamilton. Homesteaded by Henry and

Mary Hamilton in 1885. By 1896 a post office was established in what became known as Hamilton. Hamilton was a convenient place for freighters and cattlemen to rest on the multiple day journey from the Yampa Valley to Meeker. In 1924, the first energy boom hit Northwest Colorado and the population grew to around 200. A building frenzy occurred with several structures eventually destroyed by fires. In 1943, the post office and main store also met the same demise, but were quickly rebuilt. Little remains today but the rebuilt post office and community building.

Mancos Shale. From Hamilton to the town of Axial, Highway 13 crosses into the Mancos Shale, a marine mud that accumulated in the Western Interior Seaway over 100 million years ago. Sandstone top hills near the highway. Mile: 12.4 Morapos Creek. Located on the east side of the road. It is believed the name is derived from “more rapids.”

and

Loyd was a Standlind Oil and Gas camp. The area was often referred to as Iles Dome, which was the general geologic area. Loyd was the post office, store, school.

Mile: 17.1 Stinking Gulch.

West of Morapos Creek. The creek got its name because of the odor coming from the water.

Mile: 18.0 Iles Homestead. Thomas Sheridan Iles (1893-1946) homesteaded on a piece of property under what is now known as Iles Mountain. He was one of the first to predict that the area would yield oil. The land did, and would make history in the development of Northwest Colorado and the energy industry.

Belgian Horses. Look for the large light brown horses with the white manes and tails on either side of the road. As the name implies, these draft horses are from Belgium.

Mile: 20.2 Milk Creek. The creek, to the west, generally runs

Mile: 24.0 Colowyo. Colowyo operates

in a northwesterly direction through a gap between the Iles and Duffy Mountain ranges to enter into the Yampa River. If the creek did not run through Iles and Duffy, the range would have been a continuous shale cliff.

under one of the oldest active federal coal leases in the nation, which was granted in 1924 for a small underground mining operation. In 1974 the mine was bought out by W.R. Grace who changed it from an underground mine to a strip mine.

A story goes that an early day freighter unknowingly spilled a few cases of milk from his freight wagon in the vicinity of the creek. A group of Indians found it and made quick use of it, thereby giving the creek its name. However, as Indians supposedly hated canned milk, this story is very unlikely.

Mile: 20.4 Wilson House. Seen to the west. Earl Wilson bought the property from William James who developed Wilson Reservoir. Wilson moved the current house to the property from Hiawatha and placed it next to the house that was already on the property. The original house was torn down in the mid to late 1970s.

Mile: 21.5 Wilson Reservoir. Also called the Perch Pond, the reservoir is owned by Colowyo Mining. The reservoir is open to the public for fishing and bird watching. Depending on the season, the pond provides great opportunities to view white pelicans, Canada geese, a variety of duck and other bird species.

Mile: 22.3 Good Spring Creek. Wilson Reservoir is located on this creek. Highway 13 follows the creek for quite a distance.

Colowyo Stackout

Bald Eagles. Especially during winter, this area is a great place to view bald eagles. Keep a lookout in the fields and sky for these protected birds. The high concentration of raptor species in this area is contributed to the cliffs that provide nesting sites, and the Yampa River. Mile: 24.4 Gossard Ranch. This Ranch was once the Gossard Breeding Estates. H.W. Gossard imported purebred Percheron draft horses, Arabian Saddle horses, Ayrshire cattle, and Berkshire hogs for his facility. In 1919, The Craig Empire reported, “The Gossard Breeding Estates… is the purebred livestock breeding center of Northwestern Colorado, will present at Craig… a free horse fair of purebred Percheron draft horse, the equal of which has not been seen in Northwestern Colorado – if indeed it has never been equaled anywhere in the state.” The exhibit allowed people to see animals worth thousands of dollars (as high as $40,000).

The Forgotten Towns

Mile: 24.5 Wilson Creek/Taylor Creek. Joins with Taylor Creek

Mile: 23.0 Axial. Located

on the south side of road and eventually joins Milk Creek. Reportedly the creek was named for pioneer Black Wilson.

one-half mile south past County Road 17 turn off was the town of Axial (pronounced Axil). Axial was named for the numerous folds in the strata. All that remains of the town is the old school house, which operated from 1910 to 1959.

Mile: 24.6 Colowyo Railroad. Seen to the north. There was a

In 1918 the Craig Empire reported that the Collom vein of the Axial Basin Development Company was, “The greatest coal mine in the world… where a lady may walk through every tunnel, room and entry, wearing her summeriest white gown and shoes, and never soil a thread on the trip.” The Colorado Business Directory reported the town of Axial with a population of 25 in 1911. By 1937 the population was 150 with farming being the principal industry. The last known population of Axial was documented in 1960 as 5.

Mile 23.0

County Road 17 Turnoff

Turn West

Mile: 23.2 Collom House. In 1886 Arthur Collom filed a homestead on this property after completing his home in 1885. The original homestead was built out of cottonwood logs having a dirt roof and dirt floor, 2 half windows and a door made out of rough lumber. At the time, this was the regulation for homesteading. The second house, with his wife, was of modern design, 2 stories high with a basement. The house and barn still stand today. PRIVATE PROPERTY. DO NOT ENTER.

story told by an old-timer to a BLM employee that a section of the railroad is haunted. The story goes that there was a terrible blizzard and a school bus got lost having made a wrong turn. Not having heard the story, another BLMer was in the area and was having electrical issues with his vehicle. When he told the BLMer about his”problems” he was told the story of the haunted tracks!

Stay on County Road 17. Road will no longer be paved, but is maintained year round and passable. Mile: 24.9 Duffy/Iles Mountain. The gap between these two shale mountain ranges, to the north, separate Duffy and Iles Mountain only because of Milk Creek. Both mountain ranges are named for people who were instrumental in the development of Northwest Colorado.

Mile: 25.2 Agriculture: Crested Wheat Grass. This non-native grass was brought over to the United States from Siberia via Canada for forage and erosion control. Crested wheat is used for pasture and hay, for wildlife food and cover, as well as stabilization of roadsides, utility lines, industrial sites, and mine reclamation.

Mile: 25.4 Axial Basin. Axial Basin is the wintering range for

Mile: 30.8 Petrified Sand Dunes. These white rocks, now

elk, deer, and pronghorn and a designated Watchable Wildlife site. In the early 1990s a Coordinated Resource Management Plan (CRMP) was developed to resolve conflicts between wildlife and livestock. As a result of this agreement, some privately owned lands have been opened to public hunting access, along with State Land Board Properties and BLM public lands.

referred to as sandstone, were once sand dunes that formed along the shore of the Western Interior Seaway. The sand dunes provided a barrier to a marshy lagoon (north side of road). These muddy brackish lagoons would eventually form shale. The impressions of tree limbs in the shale were once downed trees that were covered by sediments, eventually decomposed, leaving only their impressions.

Mile: 26.2 Cattle Guards. Cattle guards are usually installed over roads where a fenceline crosses. They are used to prevent livestock from passing from one area to another. The patent for the cattle guard was issued to William J. Hickey of Reno, Nevada in 1915.

Mile: 27.5 Little Yampa Canyon Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA). 19,840 acres of public land designated as a Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) in the Little Snake Resource Management Plan in1989. SRMAs are created when there is a distinct, primary recreation-tourism market as well as a corresponding and distinguishing recreation management strategy. This area was designated because of its hunting and flat-water boating opportunities.

MILE 29.1

BLM Road 1596 Turnoff

Turn North

WARNING: This road is not passable when wet or muddy. Use WINTER ROUTE tour when these conditions exist.

The black “sand” is coal that has been broken down over time through a process known as weathering.

Mile: 31.2 Scenic Hiking Trail. This game trail through a Juniper forest provides an opportunity for a scenic overlook of Axial Basin and the surrounding mountain ranges. The trail follows along the side of the mountain so caution must be taken.

Chief Fire. The Chief fire was a result of a lightning strike in the summer of 2008. The two-day fire burned 340 acres before being suppressed by the BLM Hot Shots. Before this area burned, it was predominately covered in sage with minimal forage. Today, the area is a rich grassland through the efforts of reseeding and range management. Mile: 31.4

MILE 32.5

BLM Road 1593 Turnoff

Stay Left

High clearance vehicles recommended. Mile: 33.8 Danforth Hills. The hills seen to the south in the far distance are the Danforth Hills, none of which exceed 9,000 feet in elevation. The hills basically run east and west, and together with Blue Mountain, divide the drainage areas of the Yampa and White Rivers. The hills were named for Reverend E.H. Danforth who was an Indian agent at the White River Agency from 1874 until 1878. The hills are important in that they were part of the most historical th of battles, the Battle of Milk Creek, during the 19 century between the early pioneers and the Ute Indians.

Mile: 29.4 Western Interior Seaway. This area was once underwater and was also known as the Cretaceous Seaway, the Niobraran Sea, and the North American Inland Sea. This huge inland sea split the continent of North America into two halves 145.5 to 65.5 million years ago.

MILE 30.7

BLM Road 1594 Turnoff

Corral. Small enclosures like these, seen to the south, served many purposes out in the field. It could be used to corral one’s horse or livestock, or provide an enclosure for sick or injured livestock or escapees. Because of the size of the enclosure, it was more than likely used by sheep ranchers. Mile: 34.5

Turn West

Mile: 30.7 Yampa Valley Trail. BLM Road 1594 is part of the Yampa Valley Trail. The Yampa Valley Trail is a product of the Yampa Valley Alliance, formed in 1991, and is an intergovernmental partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Division of Wildlife, U.S. Park Service, Colorado Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, as well as local governments in Steamboat Springs, Craig, and Hayden. The trail extends 300 miles from the Flat Tops Wilderness Area to Dinosaur National Monument. The trail consists of portions of highway, two-track and single track.

Mile: 34.6 Sheep Cabin. The Little Yampa Canyon SRMA supports both cattle and sheep grazing allotments. This old cabin was probably used by a sheepherder to watch over his flock.

Mile: 35.3 Rock Impressions. Rock type, impression patterns, weather, geographical location, and/or past and present habitats lay clues as to how rock impressions are formed. We do know that this area was once a shallow inland sea with a muddy bottom, rich with life. Sediments were deposited and compacted producing the hard but erodible rock that we see before us. These “clues” provide us with three possibilities: dinosaur tracks, fish nests, or weathering.

Mile: 35.7 River Overlook. The Yampa is the major tributary

Mile: 37.3 Morgan Gulch. Seen along the road on the south

of the Green River, which is the major source of water for the Colorado River. The Yampa River is the last, the largest, and the longest remaining tributary of the Colorado River that supports rare plant communities and four endangered fish species. It is one of the most hydrologically and biologically intact rivers in the West, making it eligible for Wild and Scenic Rivers listing. The river was named after the Yampa plant or “wild carrot.” During the 1800s it was known as the Bear River.

side, the creek was named after Dave Morgan who homesteaded on the creek in the mid 1870s. In 1908, H.W. Gossard was impressed with the area and purchased the Battle Era Mining company in Morgan Gulch.

Protected Fish of the Yampa. The humpback chub, bonytail, Colorado pikeminnow, and razorback sucker have lived for millions of years in the Colorado river system and nowhere else in the world. These fish are now endangered or threatened because of human impact on their habitat over the past 100 years. The two greatest impacts have been water development and the introduction of non-native fish.

Mile: 37.5 Duffy River Access Turnoff. The Duffy site is a popular pullout for boaters and has been the staging area for the Department of Fishery and Wildlife Biology for river research. The area provides a great opportunity for birding and wildlife viewing. This is a little over the half-way point for the tour and provides an opportunity for lunch and rest stop. The river access site is located approximately .6 mile. FEE AREA NOTE: If you stop at the Access Site add 3 miles to your mileage at the County Road 17 turnoff.

MILE 39.2

County Road 17 Turnoff

Turn West

Duffy Tunnel. The tunnel is an example of the difficulty of construction during the early days. Thirty five pounds of dynamite per charge were used to break the rock in the mountain. Four horse teams kept laborers supplied with powder, which was hauled from Meeker. Tunnel construction began on both sides of the mountain. The alignment was off, but after 7 years of cutting through solid rock the tunnel was completed. The 7-foot tunnel extends 2200 feet under the mountain and irrigated some 1800 aces.

Signal Butte. Located about a mile north of the Duffy Tunnel, this high point provided Indians a good location for sending smoke signals.

Mile: 40.5 Duffy Homestead. Looking to the north is the remains of the Duffy homestead. Charles J. Duffy was a pioneer stockman who was instrumental in the development of the Northwestern Colorado livestock industry. In 1881 he came to the area and homesteaded. In 1904 he undertook an engineering feat and construction project that would stand as his monument – the Duffy Tunnel. PRIVATE PROPERTY. DO NOT ENTER.

Mile: 41.6 Loading Ramp. Loading ramps are used for the loading and unloading of livestock from trucks and are typically built to the height of the trailer. The ramps also help reduce bruises, stress, and mortality and provide opportunities for brand inspection and overall health of the animals.

Mile: 41.8 K Diamond Ranch. The Ranch was known as the The Bends. This section of the river is known as the bends. Here the river arcs four miles to cover a half mile “as the crows fly,” then arcs a mile and a half to cover a hundred yards. You travel every direction in 14 miles but only cover 4 miles from east to west.

Mile: 36.7 Spring. In drier environments, springs are quite noticeable since they will have about the only green vegetation around in the area. The spring coming out from the base of the cliff was probably formed where the permeable sandstone contacts the underlying impermeable shale rock. The vegetation that is taking advantage of the permanent water source is elk sedge.

Mile: 37.2 Geological Hiking Trail. This short hiking trail looks at features that indicate that this area was once underwater, and what is now happening in the present, through the process of weathering.

Lower and Upper ranches, and were about five miles apart from each other on the river. This is the Upper ranch. The ranch consisted of a small stable, blacksmith shop, and bunkhouse, all made of logs and all dirt roofed. The main building had two rooms separated by a passageway. Off the passageway, a door led into a dugout storage cellar. The southern room was the bedroom with two beds curtained off. The northern room, had a rough plank floor, which was the cook house and dining room where as many as fifteen ranch hands would be served at a long table three times a day. PRIVATE PROPERTY. DO NOT ENTER.

Mile: 42.9 Ward Family. The family filed a homestead on the southwest side of the river near the Government Bridge in 1884. They opened a road house and saloon and the Government Bridge became a favorite spot since this was where most traffic occurred for everyone traveling north or south in the territory. The Routt County Courier reported: “The road ranch and saloon became the center of attraction and many are the revolting stories told…”

Mile: 46.8 Saltcedar/Tamarisk. The branchy shrubs just across All members of the Ward family died tragically. The father was shot to death, the daughter committed suicide, the son drowned, and the mother died in a fire. A gravestone for the Ward family can be seen on the hill just to the northeast of the bridge. PRIVATE PROPERTY. DO NOT ENTER.

Mile: 43.0 Government Bridge. First bridge built in the area for the army to carry supplies to Meeker in order to control the Ute Indians during the late 1800s. The bridge was on a major route from north to south and provided a way to avoid the heavy snows further east. The bridge is eligible for the state historic registration.

MILE 44.1

County Road 74 Turnoff

from Juniper Hot Springs, to the south, are saltcedar. The invasive plant was introduced from Eurasia as a windbreak for the railroads and as an ornamental plant. Saltcedar grows along water sources and often dry up ponds and streams. The plant, which accumulates salt, will drop its leaves when they become laden with minerals, forming a monoculture (one plant species) habitat that limits wildlife biodiversity and decreases function of the stream or river Wikipedia corridor. The tamarisk leaf beetle was introduced in the area to help stop saltcedar from further spread.

Mile: 46.9 Juniper Hot Springs. The hot springs, with a temperature of about 96°F, is only one of three known springs to contain more than six minerals, the other two are in Europe. Until recently, (the springs lost one mineral) 24 minerals were found in the springs that have been tested and determined to be beneficial. The springs were first known to the Ute Indians as the “Healing Waters.”

Turn West

Mile: 44.3 Juniper Mountain and Little Juniper Mountain. Looking directly southwest is Juniper Mountain at an elevation of 7,484 feet. Juniper Mountain is an anticline that was arched over by Cretaceous rock and has now been deeply eroded exposing the Cambrian and Pre-Cambrian rock. During the 1800s Juniper Mountain was labeled as Yampah Peak at an elevation of 8,000 feet.

Before 1905, visitors to the hot springs pitched tents. By 1905, the owner Minerva D. Wing, built Hot Springs in 1905 a General store, U.S. Post Office, hotel, dining room, bath house, small cabin, and a livery stable. The bath house foundation is all that remains. PRIVATE PROPERTY. ABIDE BY ALL RULES POSTED. FEE AREA.

Turn around at Juniper Hot Springs and back track over bridge to County Road 53 North Mile: 47.4 Juniper River Access-Maybell Ditch. County Road 74

Little Juniper Mountain, at an elevation of 6,666 feet, to the north of Juniper Mountain, is separated from Juniper Mountain by the Yampa River. Little Juniper Mountain shows good examples of thrust faults, in which a portion of rock along a fracture has been placed over another section of rock along the fracture.

MILE 46.4

County Road 53 Turnoff

Turn South

Mile: 46.7 Juniper Springs Bridge. The bridge was originally built across the Yampa River at Fraker Ford east of Maybell in early 1907 and moved to its current site in 1932. The bridge is the oldest dateable, well-preserved twospan example of an early truss type, roadway bridge, and the only State Bridge remaining over the Yampa River. To the east of the bridge are the remains of The old cable trolley. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the cable trolley brought people and mail across the Yampa River to the hot springs while freight teams forded the river with supplies.

provides access to the Juniper Canyon River Access site. The canyon is popular with kayakers for its Class III rapids over the diversion dam, also known as the Maybell Ditch. The historic Maybell ditch, completed in the early 1900s, is a gravity-fed diversion ditch that is approximately 12 miles long. In 1902 the Craig Courier reported: “…Never in the history of irrigation has an undertaking of such magnitude been launched and successfully carried out…” FEE AREA

Mile: 48.5 Transmission Lines. The large steel structures are high-tension transmission lines owned by Western Area Power Association, that are transporting electricity from the Tri-State Power Plant in Craig to substations located near population centers in Utah. The smaller line, generated from a substation, provides rural electric service to individuals through Yampa Valley Electric Association. Electricity is transmitted at high voltages to reduce the energy lost in long distance transmission. Power is usually transmitted by overhead transmission lines as underground transmission lines are more costly and have greater operational limitations.

Mile: 49.2 Woodland Vegetation. This area between the sage

Mile: 52.5 Cattle. Cattle are now a

community and the pinyon/juniper woodland is known as a transition zone or ecotone. Transition zones are where plants and animals from each plant community “mix” providing a greater than usual diversity of species. The shrubby plant with yellow flowers seen during the fall is rabbitbrush.

common sight in Northwest Colorado. However, it wasn’t until the 1870s when Vincent Hoy ran cattle year round that homesteads soon appeared. In the early 1900s, the Carey Ranch of Routt County, ran a book count of 70,000 Head of cattle in the Axial Basin area south of Lay. To this day cattle ranching continues to be a major industry for Northwest Colorado.

Mile: 50.0 Scenic View. From this location, you can see Sugarloaf Basin directly in front of you with Sugarloaf Peak just to the northeast. Years ago, sugar was sold in an inverted cone called a sugarloaf, thus the name of the basin. Just above the basin the light patches are from strip mining activity. In the far distance to the northwest is Lookout Mountain. Sevenmile Ridge is just to the northwest of Lookout Mountain with Godiva Rim in the foreground of Sevenmile Ridge. To the far east is Bakers Peak with Black Mountain just to the southeast. Highway 40 is just below the ridge of Sugarloaf Basin.

Cattle Rustling. The most common form of rustling was branding another owner’s calves, which resulted for the rapid rise to prosperity of several well-known cattlemen. Cattle rustlers and horse thieves often shared a drink at the bar with cattle barons and men who wanted things done their way. As law enforcement officers were introduced into areas, it was often difficult to tell the good guys from the bad guys. Mile: 53.1 Lay Peak. This small peak, to the east, rises 6,650 feet above sea level. The peak provided a 360 degree view of the Yampa Basin and was a landmark for the Native Americans and early travelers and settlers to the area. The basin to the north of the Peak, now known as Lay, was a stopping point for travelers coming from Meeker or Wyoming.

Mile: 54.4 Lay. After the Battle of Milk Creek and the Meeker

Mile: 50.9 Range Fencing. In 1900, the only fences were those enclosing the few ranches in the area. Riders could go a hundred or more miles without hitting a fence, as northwest Colorado is classified as open range. Today, much of the landscape is fenced to separate the individual BLM grazing allotments, private land pastures, and to better manage livestock grazing.

Mile: 51.1 Lay Creek. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, many attempts were made to make mining for placer gold in Moffat County a paying proposition. Lay Creek was worked, but with limited results.

MILE 51.2

Highway 40 Turnoff

Turn East

Victory Way (Highway 40). In 1921 the Victory Highway Association was formed and proposed th to build a road along the 40 parallel, beginning in New York and ending in San Francisco. The Victory Highway was built to honor those who had given their lives during WWI as a lasting tribute. The Victory Highway was the first paved road and the first road in the United States to receive federal funds for construction.

Massacre in 1879, camps were set up to protect the soldiers and provisions. One of those camps was known as Camp Lay. The camp was under the command of Lieutenant McCalla who named it in honor of his sweetheart. When a post office was established there in 1881 the name became permanent. The town became a cattle center, devoted to providing mail service and merchandise to cattlemen. 1918 was a prosperous time for Lay; the Pioneer Hotel, a blacksmith shop, the Lay Motor Company, and several new homes were built. Today, not much remains of the original town of Lay. The original schoolhouse and general store are visible at the corner of Highway 40 and County Road 17. PRIVATE PROPERTY. DO NOT ENTER.

County Road 17. County Road 17 was originally known as the Cologne Road. Around 1880 the government decided to replace this crude road from Rawlins and Ft. Steele to the White River Agency. From Baggs southward the government adopted much of the present route of CR 17, passing the layover point now known as Lay. South of Lay the road crossed the Yampa at Government Bridge. It then swung over to Axial Basin, Nine Mile Hill and to the Army compound, which is now Meeker. With the replacement of the Cologne Road, the new route became the Government Road. Mile: 55.0 Lay Valley Bison Ranch. This ranch raises Rocky Mountain buffalos that are all range fed, with no additives. The ranch specializes in selling buffalo products worldwide; making use of every part - meat, hides, horns, bleached skulls, bones, sinew (a tendon), and hooves. The ranch also provides hunts and offers a period hunt, which is styled in the period of the 1800's, providing as much authenticity as safety allows. PRIVATE PROPERTY. DO NOT ENTER.

Mile: 55.1 Bord (Board) Gulch. Bord Gulch is a tributary of Lay

Mile: 68.6 Cedar Mountain. Cedar Mountain is a prominent

Creek. The gulch was named after German immigrant, John Board, who homesteaded at the mouth of the gulch in the 1880s with funding provided by his good friend Thomas Emerson. Board left Germany and came to America to get away from the army service required by all males back in the 1800s.

landmark in that it represents a significant resource due to its suitability for communication facilities and proximity to the community of Craig. The mountain encompasses an 880-acre block of public land and has an elevation of 6,500 feet -- 1000 feet above the Yampa Valley. What makes Cedar Mountain so unique is its volcanic cap and its three different habitats.

Mile: 56.5 F.M. Light & Sons Signs. Clarence (Francis Marion Light’s son) marketed the store in the form of the yellow and black roadside signs. In 1928, Clarence erected 260 signs in a 150-mile radius of Steamboat Springs. Eventually that number grew to 300. However, Lady Bird Johnson’s beautification act resulted in more than 150 signs being removed from roadways. Those that remain are considered historic, each one numbered and registered with the state of Colorado.

Mile: 56.8 Big Gulch. The headwaters of Big Gulch are located in the area south and east of Great Divide. The gulch empties into Lay Creek.

Mile: 59.4 Rio Ro Mo Ranch. Homesteaded in 1909 by Albert Culverwell on 140 acres. He purchased his neighbors’ homesteads as they went bust and amassed a fortune in land holdings. Today the ranch is 20,000 acres, down from 42,000 in 1974, due to changing economic conditions.

Mile: 60.4 Sombrero Ranch. Sombrero Ranch was started by Pat Mantle and Rex Walker. Sombrero Ranches is a dude horse operation with 500 to 1000 head. Each year during the spring the horses are gathered and hundreds of people will flock to the town of Maybell to watch the horses go through.

Mile: 68.8 Steamboat Ski Resort and Bears Ears. If weather conditions are right, the ski slopes of Steamboat Springs can be seen directly east. The city derives its name from one of several geothermal hot springs in the area. The spring itself was named because its bubbling sounded like a steamboat to early settlers. Today Steamboat Springs, dubbed “Ski Town USA” is a worldclass ski destination and claims more Olympic athletes than any other town in North America.

Bears Ears. Looking to the northeast are two dominate peaks that make up the Bears Ears mountain range. Bears Ears is perhaps the second most recognizable and famous mountain in northwest Colorado after Rabbit Ears. The highest peak, known as the Northwest Ear is at an elevation of 10,577 and the Southeast Ear is at 10,494. The Bears Ears namesake is best seen from a long distance from the mountain from the south. Mile: 69.4 Pine Ridge Road. Pine Ridge, County Road 64, was named after a few stray ponderosa pines that found a home just west of Cedar Mountain. The Ponderosa furnishes more lumber than any other American tree. Young trees have a dark, almost black bark thus another common name of “black jack.” Indians ate the seeds either raw or made into a bread. The Ponderosa is the state tree of Montana.

Mile: 69.8 Hyatt House. Located on the north side of the road, Charles Hyatt homesteaded on the land and built a log cabin, made of 12-inch logs, back in the early 1900s. The house still stands, but was re-sided in the 1970s. A few years back a section of the house caught on fire, but the thickness of the logs saved the house from being completely

Mile: 62.3 Original Section of Victory Highway. County Road 174, on the south side of the road, is part of the original Victory Highway. Most of the road signs and statues are gone and in some larger cities the road has grown to six lanes. However, in Moffat County you can still see sections of the original path of the highway that was cut through the high desert of Northwest Colorado.

Mile: 63.4 Russian-olive. The silver-colored trees seen to the south are russian-olive. This fast growing tree was indroduced from Europe as a shade tree. The tree is considered an invasive species in many parts of the United States because it thrives on poor soil, has low seedling mortality, matures in a few years, and out-competes wild native vegetation.

Mile: 65.0 Draper Hill. Named for Bill Draper and his wife whose homestead was at the top of the hill. This often proved a problem during bad weather for horse-drawn wagons or truckers when roads were often nothing more than dirt or lightly graveled.

Mile: 68.0 Wildlife Viewing. The field to the south provides a good opportunity to view wildlife throughout the year. During the spring, summer and fall, deer and pronghorn are quite common. Early spring and late fall is a good opportunity to catch a glimpse of sandhill crane, while winter provides the opportunity to see large groups of elk.

destroyed by the fire.

End of Journey

WINTER ROUTE

WINTER ROUTE START 29.1

BLM Road 1596 and County Road 17

Mile: 29.4 Western Interior Seaway. This area was once underwater and was also known as the Cretaceous Seaway, the Niobraran Sea, and the North American Inland Sea. This huge inland sea split the continent of North America into two halves 145.5 to 65.5 million years ago.

Mile: 29.8 Duffy Mountain State Land Board. Approximately 640 acres south of this point are held by the State Land Board and leased for a sheep operation.

Mile: 31.1 Morgan Gulch. Seen along the road on the south side, the creek was named after Dave Morgan who homesteaded on the creek in the mid 1870s. In 1908, H.W. Gossard was impressed with the area and purchased the Battle Era Mining company in Morgan Gulch.

Mile: 32.0 Yampa Valley Trail/BLM Road 1593. BLM Road 1593, to the north, is part of the Yampa Valley Trail. The Yampa Valley Trail is a product of the Yampa Valley Alliance, formed in 1991, and is an inter-governmental partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Division of Wildlife, U.S. Park Service, Colorado Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, as well as local governments in Steamboat Springs, Craig, and Hayden. The trail extends 300 miles from the Flat Tops Wilderness Area to Dinosaur National Monument. The trail consists of portions of highway, two-track and single track.

Mile: 32.5 Danforth Hills. The hills seen to the south in the far distance are the Danforth Hills, none of which exceed 9,000 feet in elevation. The hills basically run east and west, and together with Blue Mountain, divide the drainage areas of the Yampa and White Rivers. The hills were named for Reverend E.H. Danforth who was an Indian agent at the White River Agency from 1874 until 1878. The hills are important in that they were part of the th most historical of battles, the Battle of Milk Creek, during the 19 century between the early pioneers and the Ute Indians.

Mile: 33.3 Duffy Homestead. Looking to the north is the remains of the Duffy homestead. Charles J. Duffy was a pioneer stockman who was instrumental in the development of the Northwestern Colorado livestock industry. In 1881 he came to the area and homesteaded. In 1904 he undertook an engineering feat and construction project that would stand as his monument - the Duffy Tunnel. PRIVATE PROPERTY. DO NOT ENTER.

Duffy Tunnel. The tunnel is an example of the difficulty of construction during the early days. Thirty five pounds of dynamite per charge were used to break the rock in the mountain. Four horse teams kept laborers supplied with powder, which was hauled from Meeker. Tunnel construction began on both sides of the mountain. The alignment was off, but after 7 years of cutting through solid rock the tunnel was completed. The 7-foot tunnel extends 2200 feet under the mountain and irrigated some 1800 aces.

Mile: 34.1 K Diamond Ranch. The Ranch was known as the Lower and Upper ranches, and were about five miles apart from each other on the river. This is the Upper ranch. The ranch consisted of a small stable, blacksmith shop, and bunkhouse, all made of logs and all dirt roofed. The main building had two rooms separated by a passageway. Off the passageway, a door led into a dugout storage cellar. The southern room was the bedroom with two beds curtained off. The northern room, had a rough plank floor, which was the cook house and dining room where as many as fifteen ranch hands would be served at a long table three times a day. PRIVATE PROPERTY. DO NOT ENTER.

Mile: 34.3 Loading Ramp. Loading ramps are used for the loading and unloading of livestock from trucks and are typically built to the height of the trailer. The ramps also help reduce bruises, stress, and mortality and provide opportunities for brand inspection and overall health of the animals.

Mile: 35.7 Ward Family. The family filed a homestead on the southwest side of the river near the Government Bridge in 1884. They opened a road house and saloon and the Government Bridge became a favorite spot since this was where most traffic occurred for everyone traveling north or south in the territory. The Routt County Courier reported: “The road ranch and saloon became the center of attraction and many are the revolting stories told…” All members of the Ward family died tragically. The father was shot to death, the daughter committed suicide, the son drowned, and the mother died in a fire. A gravestone for the Ward family can be seen on the hill just to the northeast of the bridge off of County Road 181. PRIVATE PROPERTY. DO NOT ENTER.

Mile: 35.8 Government Bridge. First bridge built in the area for the army to carry supplies to Meeker in order to control the Ute Indians during the late 1800s. The bridge was on a major route from north to south and provided a way to avoid the heavy snows further east. The bridge is eligible for the state historic registration.

MILE 36.9

County Road 74 Turnoff

Turn West

Mile: 37.4 Juniper Mountain and Little Juniper Mountain.

Mile: 39.6 Saltcedar/Tamarisk. The branchy shrubs just across

Looking directly southwest is Juniper Mountain at an elevation of 7,484 feet. Juniper Mountain is an anticline that was arched over by Cretaceous rock and has now been deeply eroded exposing the Cambrian and Pre-Cambrian rock. During the 1800s Juniper Mountain was labeled as Yampah Peak at an elevation of 8,000 feet.

from Juniper Hot Springs, to the south, are saltcedar. The invasive plant was introduced from Eurasia as a windbreak for the railroads and as an ornamental plant. Saltcedar grows along water sources and often dry up ponds and streams. The plant, which accumulates salt, will drop its leaves when they become laden with minerals, forming a monoculture (one plant species) habitat that limits wildlife biodiversity and decreases function of the stream or river corridor. The tamarisk leaf beetle was introduced in the area to help stop saltcedar from further spread.

Mile: 39.7 Juniper Hot Springs. The hot springs, with a

Little Juniper Mountain, at an elevation of 6,666 feet, to the north of Juniper Mountain, is separated from Juniper Mountain by the Yampa River. Little Juniper Mountain shows good examples of thrust faults, in which a portion of rock along a fracture has been placed over another section of rock along the fracture.

Mile: 38.4 Yampa River. The Yampa is the major tributary of the Green River, which is the major source of water for the Colorado River. The Yampa River is the last, the largest, and the longest remaining tributary of the Colorado River that supports rare plant communities and four endangered fish species. It is one of the most hydrologically and biologically intact rivers in the West, making it eligible for Wild and Scenic Rivers listing. The river was named after the Yampa plant or “wild carrot.” During the 1800s it was known as the Bear River.

Protected Fish of the Yampa. The humpback chub, bonytail, Colorado pikeminnow, and razorback sucker have lived for millions of years in the Colorado river system and nowhere else in the world. These fish are now endangered or threatened because of human impact on their habitat over the past 100 years. The two greatest impacts have been water development and the introduction of non-native fish.

MILE 39.2

County Road 53 Turnoff

Turn South

Mile: 39.5 Juniper Springs Bridge. The bridge was originally built across the Yampa River at Fraker Ford east of Maybell in early 1907 and moved to its current site in 1932. The bridge is the oldest dateable, well-preserved two-span example of an early truss type, roadway bridge, and the only State Bridge remaining over the Yampa River. To the east of the bridge are the remains of The old cable trolley. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the cable trolley brought people and mail across the Yampa River to the hot springs while freight teams forded the river with supplies.

temperature of about 96°F, is only one of three known springs to contain more than six minerals, the other two are in Europe. Until recently, (the springs lost one mineral) 24 minerals were found in the springs that have been tested and determined to be beneficial. The springs were first known to the Ute Indians as the “Healing Waters.” Before 1905, visitors to the hot springs pitched tents. By 1905, the owner Minerva D. Wing, built Hot Springs in 1905 a General store, U.S. Post Office, hotel, dining room, bath house, small cabin, and a livery stable. The bath house foundation is all that remains. PRIVATE PROPERTY. ABIDE BY ALL RULES POSTED. FEE AREA.

Turn around at Juniper Hot Springs and back track over bridge to County Road 53 North Mile: 40.2 Juniper River Access-Maybell Ditch. County Road 74 provides access to the Juniper Canyon River Access site. The canyon is popular with kayakers for its Class III rapids over the diversion dam, also known as the Maybell Ditch. The historic Maybell ditch, completed in the early 1900s, is a gravity-fed diversion ditch that is approximately 12 miles long. In 1902 the Craig Courier reported: “…Never in the history of irrigation has an undertaking of such magnitude been launched and successfully carried out…” FEE AREA

Mile: 41.3 Transmission Lines. The large steel structures are high-tension transmission lines owned by Western Area Power Association, that are transporting electricity from the Tri-State Power Plant in Craig to substations located near population centers in Utah. The smaller line, generated from a substation, provides rural electric service to individuals through Yampa Valley Electric Association. Electricity is transmitted at high voltages to reduce the energy lost in long distance transmission. Power is usually transmitted by overhead transmission lines as underground transmission lines are more costly and have greater operational limitations.

Mile: 41.8 Woodland Vegetation. This area between the sage

Mile: 45.6 Cattle. Cattle are now a

community and the pinyon/juniper woodland is known as a transition zone or ecotone. Transition zones are where plants and animals from each plant community “mix” providing a greater than usual diversity of species. The shrubby plant with yellow flowers seen during the fall is rabbitbrush.

common sight in Northwest Colorado. However, it wasn’t until the 1870s when Vincent Hoy ran cattle year round that homesteads soon appeared. In the early 1900s, the Carey Ranch of Routt County, ran a book count of 70,000 head of cattle in the Axial Basin area south of Lay. To this day cattle ranching continues to be a major industry for Northwest Colorado.

Mile: 42.8 Scenic View. From this location, you can see Sugarloaf Basin directly in front of you with Sugarloaf Peak just to the northeast. Years ago, sugar was sold in an inverted cone called a sugarloaf, thus the name of the basin. Just above the basin the light patches are from strip mining activity. In the far distance to the northwest is Lookout Mountain. Sevenmile Ridge is just to the northwest of Lookout Mountain with Godiva Rim in the foreground of Sevenmile Ridge. To the far east is Bakers Peak with Black Mountain just to the southeast. Highway 40 is just below the ridge of Sugarloaf Basin.

Cattle Rustling. The most common form of rustling was branding another owner’s calves, which resulted for the rapid rise to prosperity of several well-known cattlemen. Cattle rustlers and horse thieves often shared a drink at the bar with cattle barons and men who wanted things done their way. As law enforcement officers were introduced into areas, it was often difficult to tell the good guys from the bad guys. Mile: 46.2 Lay Peak. This small peak, to the east, rises 6,650 feet above sea level. The peak provided a 360 degree view of the Yampa Basin and was a landmark for the Native Americans and early travelers and settlers to the area. The basin to the north of the Peak, now known as Lay, was a stopping point for travelers coming from Meeker or Wyoming.

Mile: 47.2 Lay. After the Battle of Milk Creek and the Meeker

Mile: 43.7 Range Fencing. In 1900, the only fences were those enclosing the few ranches in the area. Riders could go a hundred or more miles without hitting a fence, as northwest Colorado is classified as open range. Today, much of the landscape is fenced to separate the individual BLM grazing allotments, private land pastures, and to better manage livestock grazing.

Mile: 43.9 Lay Creek. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, many attempts were made to make mining for placer gold in Moffat County a paying proposition. Lay Creek was worked, but with limited results.

MILE 43.9 East

Highway 40 Turnoff

Turn

Victory Way (Highway 40). In 1921 the Victory Highway Association was formed and proposed to build a road along the th 40 parallel, beginning in New York and ending in San Francisco. The Victory Highway was built to honor those who had given their lives during WWI as a lasting tribute. The Victory Highway was the first paved road and the first road in the United States to receive federal funds for construction.

Massacre in 1879, camps were set up to protect the soldiers and provisions. One of those camps was known as Camp Lay. The camp was under the command of Lieutenant McCalla who named it in honor of his sweetheart. When a post office was established there in 1881 the name became permanent. The town became a cattle center, devoted to providing mail service and merchandise to cattlemen. 1918 was a prosperous time for Lay; the Pioneer Hotel, a blacksmith shop, the Lay Motor Company, and several new homes were built. Today, not much remains of the original town of Lay. The original schoolhouse and general store are visible at the corner of Highway 40 and County Road 17. PRIVATE PROPERTY. DO NOT ENTER.

County Road 17. County Road 17 was originally known as the Cologne Road. Around 1880 the government decided to replace this crude road from Rawlins and Ft. Steele to the White River Agency. From Baggs southward the government adopted much of the present route of CR 17, passing the layover point now known as Lay. South of Lay the road crossed the Yampa at Government Bridge. It then swung over to Axial Basin, Nine Mile Hill and to the Army compound, which is now Meeker. With the replacement of the Cologne Road, the new route became the Government Road. Mile: 47.8 Lay Valley Bison Ranch. This ranch raises Rocky Mountain buffalos that are all range fed, with no additives. The ranch specializes in selling buffalo products worldwide; making use of every part - meat, hides, horns, bleached skulls, bones, sinew (a tendon), and hooves. The ranch also provides hunts and offers a period hunt, which is styled in the period of the 1800's, providing as much authenticity as safety allows. PRIVATE PROPERTY. DO NOT ENTER.

Mile: 47.8 Bord (Board) Gulch. Bord Gulch is a tributary of Lay

Mile: 60.7 Wildlife Viewing. The field to the

Creek. The gulch was named after German immigrant, John Board, who homesteaded at the mouth of the gulch in the 1880s with funding provided by his good friend Thomas Emerson. Board left Germany and came to America to get away from the army service required by all males back in the 1800s.

south provides a good opportunity to view wildlife throughout the year. During the spring, summer and fall, deer and pronghorn are quite common. Early spring and late fall is a good opportunity to catch a glimpse of sandhill crane, while winter provides the opportunity to see large groups of elk.

Mile: 49.3 F.M. Light & Sons Signs. Clarence (Francis Marion Light’s son) marketed the store in the form of the yellow and black roadside signs. In 1928, Clarence erected 260 signs in a 150-mile radius of Steamboat Springs. Eventually that number grew to 300. However, Lady Bird Johnson’s beautification act resulted in more than 150 signs being removed from roadways. Those that remain are considered historic, each one numbered and registered with the state of Colorado.

Mile: 49.6 Big Gulch. The headwaters of Big Gulch are located in the area south and east of Great Divide. The gulch empties into Lay Creek.

Mile: 52.1 Rio Ro Mo Ranch. Homesteaded in 1909 by Albert Culverwell on 140 acres. He purchased his neighbors’ homesteads as they went bust and amassed a fortune in land holdings. Today the ranch is 20,000 acres, down from 42,000 in 1974, due to changing economic conditions.

Mile: 53.2 Sombrero Ranch. Sombrero Ranch was started by Pat Mantle and Rex Walker. Sombrero Ranches is a dude horse operation with 500 to 1000 head. Each year during the spring the horses are gathered and hundreds of people will flock to the town of Maybell to watch the horses go through.

Mile: 55.1 Original Section of Victory Highway. County Road 174, on the south side of the road, is part of the original Victory Highway. Most of the road signs and statues are gone and in some larger cities the road has grown to six lanes. However, in Moffat County you can still see sections of the original path of the highway that was cut through the high desert of Northwest Colorado.

Mile: 56.1 Russian-olive. The silver colored trees seen to the south are russian-olive. This fast growing tree was indroduced from Europe as a shade tree. The tree is considered an invasive species in many parts of the United States because it thrives on poor soil, has low seedling mortality, matures in a few years, and out-competes wild native vegetation.

Mile: 58.2 Draper Hill. Named for Bill Draper and his wife

Mile: 61.3 Cedar Mountain. Cedar Mountain is a prominent landmark in that it represents a significant resource due to its suitability for communication facilities and proximity to the community of Craig. The mountain encompasses an 880-acre block of public land and has an elevation of 6,500 feet -- 1000 feet above the Yampa Valley. What makes Cedar Mountain so unique is its volcanic cap and its three different habitats.

Mile: 61.5 Steamboat Ski Resort and Bears Ears. If weather conditions are right, the ski slopes of Steamboat Springs can be seen directly east. The city derives its name from one of several geothermal hot springs in the area. The spring itself was named because its bubbling sounded like a steamboat to early settlers. Today Steamboat Springs, dubbed “Ski Town USA” is a worldclass ski destination and claims more Olympic athletes than any other town in North America.

Bears Ears. Looking to the northeast are two dominate peaks that make up the Bears Ears mountain range. Bears Ears is perhaps the second most recognizable and famous mountain in northwest Colorado after Rabbit Ears. The highest peak, known as the Northwest Ear is at an elevation of 10,577 and the Southeast Ear is at 10,494. The Bears Ears namesake is best seen from a long distance from the mountain from the south. Mile: 62.2 Pine Ridge Road. Pine Ridge, County Road 64, was named after a few stray ponderosa pines that found a home just west of Cedar Mountain. The Ponderosa furnishes more lumber than any other American tree. Young trees have a dark, almost black bark thus another common name of “black jack.” Indians ate the seeds either raw or made into a bread. The Ponderosa is the state tree of Montana.

Mile: 62.6 Hyatt House. Located on the north side of the road, Charles Hyatt homesteaded on the land and built a log cabin, made of 12-inch logs, back in the early 1900s. The house still stands, but was re-sided in the 1970s. A few years back a section of the house caught on fire, but the thickness of the logs saved the house from being completely destroyed by the fire.

whose homestead was at the top of the hill. This often proved a problem during bad weather for horse-drawn wagons or truckers when roads were often nothing more than dirt or lightly graveled.

End of Journey

NORTHWEST COLORADO

1880 Rand McNally Road Map

Courtesy Museum of Northwest Colorado

LM/CO/GI-11/004